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Jack Thompson AM (born August 31, 1940) is an Australian actor and one of the major figures of Australian cinema.

He is best known as a lead actor in several acclaimed Australian films including popular classics Sunday Too Far Away (1975), The Man from Snowy River (1982) and Breaker Morant (1980). He won Cannes and AFI acting awards for the latter film. He was the recipient of a Living Legend Award at the 2005 Inside Film Awards.

Thompson's first significant role was as part of the cast of soap opera Motel (1968). He then took the lead role in spy drama series Spyforce (1971).

He quickly moved into feature film lead roles, winning roles in many popular and acclaimed Australian films. He has also acted in television miniseries.

Thompson has emerged as a popular celebrity. He was the first nude male centrefold in Cleo magazine in 1972. He has also acted in many television commercials, including the famous advertisement for Claytons non-alcoholic mixer.

Thompson was born in Manly, a suburb of Sydney, and was educated at Sydney Boys High School. His name at birth was John Hadley Payne, but this was changed when he was adopted.

For many years Jack was part of a ménage à trois with current wife Leona King and her sister Bunkie. His statement about the arrangement is as follows - "I wouldn't have missed it for quids."^[1]

The film reviewer Peter Thompson is his brother [1], [2].

• Wake in Fright (1971)
• Petersen (1974)
• Sunday Too Far Away (1975)
• Scobie Malone (1975; title role)
• Caddie (1976)
• Mad Dog Morgan (1976)
• The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)
• The Journalist (1979)
• Breaker Morant (1980)
• The Club (1980)
• The Earthling (1980)
• Bad Blood (1981)
• A Woman Called Golda (1982) (TV)
• The Man from Snowy River (1982)
• Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983)
• Waterfront (1984) (mini) TV Series
• Burke & Wills (1985) (as Robert O'Hara Burke)
• Flesh & Blood (1985)
• The Last Frontier (1986) (TV)
• The Riddle of the Stinson (1987) (TV)
• Ground Zero (1987)
• Trouble in Paradise (1989) (TV)
• Turtle Beach (1992)
• Wind (1992)
• The Sum of Us (1994)
• Broken Arrow (1996)
• The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years (1996) (TV)
• Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
• Under the Lighthouse Dancing (1997)
• My Brother Jack (2001) (TV)
• Original Sin (2001)
• South Pacific (2001) (TV)
• Yolngu Boy (2001)
• Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
• The Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004)
• Oyster Farmer (2004)
• Feed (2005)
• Ten Empty (2006)
• Bastard Boys (2007)

• 1975 AFI Award: Best Actor, for Sunday Too Far Away and Petersen
• 1980 AFI Award: Best Actor in a Lead Role, for Breaker Morant
• 1980 Cannes Film Festival: Best Supporting Actor, for Breaker Morant
• 1986 Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia
• 1994 AFI Award: Raymond Longford Award
• 1998 Film Critic's Circle of Australia Awards: Special Achievement Award
• 2005 Inside Film Awards: Living Legend IF Award

Thompson was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia on 9 June, 1986 for his service to the Australian film industry,^[2] and served as an UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.

1. ^ Biography for Jack Thompson (I). Internet movie database. Retrieved on 2006-03-26.
2. ^ Mr John Hadley (Jack) THOMPSON. Australian Honours List. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved on 2006-03-26.

• Jack Thompson at the Internet Movie Database